Bob Dylan’s return to the Hudson Valley, the excitement for which has been building for months, is upon us.

The singer-songwriter, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and former Ulster County resident on Friday will kick off a two-night stand at the Hutton Brickyards in Kingston.

In the process, Dylan and his band will christen a new, 3,500-person-capacity concert venue on the Hudson River shoreline. His performances are being presented by the Hutton Brickyards and Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie.

Tickets are available for Friday night’s show. Saturday’s performance is sold out.

“Bob Dylan casts a long shadow over singing and songwriting,” said Paul Higgins, 46, an Ulster County resident who was born and raised in Kingston and now works at WKZE (98.1 FM) in Red Hook.

Higgins continued, “He’s been a poet, he’s been a rock star, he’s been a crooner, he’s been a contrarian — and everyone still pays attention to him. It’s still important when a new Bob Dylan record comes out.”

And Dylan’s concerts at the Hutton Brickyards, Higgins said, are important as well.

“We feel like we have an ownership over him,” Higgins said. “He’s part of us because he has such a history here.”

Dylan decades ago lived in Woodstock. So this weekend’s shows mark something of a homecoming for him.

“He’s a giant, a great poet,” said Bob Gilson, 67, of Stanfordville, who said he met Dylan in 1969 or 1970, outside of the old Sled Hill Cafe in Woodstock. “I don’t know what else to say.”

Located north of Kingston Point Park, the Hutton Brickyards also hosts Smorgasburg, an offshoot of Brooklyn Flea, the New York City food and flea market. Concert-goers this weekend will watch Dylan perform in a venue with a roof but no walls, that offers sweeping views of the Hudson River and Dutchess County shoreline.

“Seeing a Nobel laureate perform at what once was an abandoned brickyard and what has now been transformed into an attractive and one-of-a-kind venue along the Hudson River — that’s just yet another example of how anything can happen here in Kingston,” said Kingston Mayor Steve Noble.

Dylan’s two concerts in Kingston this weekend carry meaning far beyond the music.

With these shows, the man from Minnesota builds on the strong relationship he has developed with the Bardavon. He held private rehearsals at the historic theater on Market Street in Poughkeepsie in 2006, 2007 and 2012.

Dylan also rehearsed at The Chance in Poughkeepsie and gave a concert for the public there. And he has performed at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie; Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill; and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, on the Woodstock site in Sullivan County.

This concert also strengthens the Bardavon’s foothold in Kingston and expands its reach in the region. The Bardavon in 2006 began managing the Broadway Theater at Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston and took it over in 2007.

After months of planning with the Hutton Brickyards and the City of Kingston, Bardavon Executive Director Chris Silva said he is “extremely excited and thrilled.”

“I haven’t seen a Bob show in a few years,” he said. “I always look forward to seeing what he’s doing.”

If you go:

Bob Dylan and His Band

When: 8 p.m. sharp, June 23-24. Doors open at 6 p.m. There is no opening act. June 24 is sold out.

Where: The Hutton Brickyards, 200 North St., Kingston

Admission: Tickets cost $125 and $75 for general admission seating; $55 for standing.

After 3 p.m., Bob Dylan tickets will only be available for purchase on-site at the Hutton Brickyards, which will only be accessible for non-ticket or non-parking pass holders by parking in one of the lots near UPAC in Kingston and taking a free shuttle bus.

On Friday and Saturday, June 23-24, free shuttles will depart from UPAC, 601 Broadway, Kingston, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Unless you have received in the mail an on-site parking pass, you can't park at the Hutton Brickyards. If you purchased a ticket and did not receive instructions regarding an off-site shuttle parking lot, you can park in the lots near UPAC and take the shuttle to the Hutton Brickyards.

And:

- Regarding the Bob Dylan concerts, Kingston Mayor Steve Noble expects the peak of traffic congestion to be near the North Street/Delaware Avenue intersection.

Noble also pointed out that Kingston High School graduation will be held June 23 and the Hudson River Maritime Museum will host a boat building competition on June 24.

“Kingston is going to be a busy city,” Noble said. “So long as everyone is patient and allows a little extra travel time, residents and visitors of Kingston should be able to move about Kingston with relative ease.”

- Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum said normal navigation rules apply to boaters who congregate on the Hudson River, in the vicinity of the Hutton Brickyards. Van Blarcum said boaters can expect a “big presence” from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office on the river, during the concerts.

No worries Chester!The discussion forum was down all night and most of today (at least here) so I couldn't get on.Karl Erik is a popular guy according to the message that said there were too many users or something to that effect. Back in action!

I'm driving up tomorrowwould like to hear about parking experiences too

Town of Saugerties, Saugerties lighthouse, Byrdcliffe & Bearsville theater are close by & of interest toohttp://plochmann.blogspot.com/2008/04/b ... dence.html& views from Overlook mountain near Woodstock are spectacular. if you feel like hikingAlso be sure to stop at the Jolly Cow in Lake Katrine

Transitioning from 'Tangled Up in Blue' to 'Desolation Row' is a great choice; two lyrical heavyweights with a definite thematic link. Also, it replaces 'All or Nothing at All', the weakest of the Sinatra covers in my opinion.

Great show nice venue, my last on this tour Left work later than i planned to,hit traffic & couldn't get my gps to work on my new phone so I drove up with sketchy directions & decided to "wing it"Wound up taking the scenic route (aka-got lost), drove around & finally through town & "stumbled" on the venueI must say I was impressed how they directed traffic & I got to my parking lot (across from the buses) with no trouble & got into the venue pretty quickly, even though I was very lateI upgraded my ticket in order to have a seat but quickly regretted it (don't know why I have to keep reminding myself why I always try to get the rail)Seats are uncomfortable & tightly arranged & quickly found out that the one thing more annoying than cell phones are people who repeatedly get up to get refreshmentsI finally ditched the seat to stand on the stairwayLeft just before the encore & the crowd & got onto 9W south easily enoughSuggestions? If you have time go early & hang out in town-looks very quaintIf you can get paid parking, do soPrepare to be squished if you have a seat

Enjoy tonight's show everyone one ! Should be beautiful weather !!

As for Bob & the Band- safe travels & enjoy yourselves !! & next time you in my area, drinks are on me ! Cheers

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